Life’s Biggest ?s: Here Are Answers to 4

Feeling lost or stuck? Elder L. Whitney and Sister Kathy Clayton answer four of life’s most common questions, ultimately reminding us of who we really are and why we’re here.

How can Christ make my life better?

Because of Him and all He did and all He was and is, we too can triumph. We also can overcome. We can live abundantly in the midst of trials. If we choose to accept and apply His saving gospel, He will save us. He will rescue us from the effects of our own fallen natures and foibles, and He will save us from sin, from spiritual mediocrity, and from ultimate, eternal failure. He will purge, refine, beautify, and eventually even perfect us. He will give us joy and peace. He is the key to the abundant life.

Why do I still experience pain and heartache when I'm living righteously?

If we don’t experience personal storms and drought, our roots never have the chance to become strong. Ironically, smooth sailing is its own test―and a difficult one. The absence of problems can soften us if we aren’t careful. We may “not watch [ourselves], and [our] thoughts, and [our] words, and [our] deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith” (Mosiah 4:30) without a trial that bends our knees and works our hearts.

How can I prepare myself for life's challenges?

Because we don’t know when or how our own challenges will come, we should set down our roots as deeply as we can into the only true source of nourishment for our souls, the Lord Jesus Christ. We build strength of soul to weather the storms of our lives by learning of Him. We learn by study and by prayer. We learn by watching righteous examples. We learn as we serve others in order to serve Him (see Matthew 25:40). We learn as we seek to emulate Him in any way we can.

What does Satan do to keep us from reaching our eternal potential?

He will try to get us to focus on our failures to diminish our confidence, because he knows that this can blind us to our true worth and capacity.

He will try to get us to forget that God loves us.

He knows that carelessness or inattention to the little things will slowly lead us to forget our eternal potential.